Dhanbad/Bokaro, Oct. 31: Every third Indian suffers from dental, gum and oral problems, a major reason why the the role of dentists has become so crucial in present times, especially due to the rise in diseases like cancer.

The observation was made by local MP P.N. Singh on the second day of the 6th Jharkhand State Dental Conference at PMCH, Dhanbad, today.

"Dentists can educate masses about oral diseases caused by tobacco and paan masala. These can be avoided if people follow dentists' advice from an early age," Singh said.

More than 150 dentists from across India are attending the three-day conference, which will end tomorrow.

Surgeons' advice

Timely surgery can cure complicated diseases like breast cancer, liver and kidney ailments, some of the best doctors of the country said today at JASICON, the 14th annual conference of Association of Surgeons of India in Bokaro. The three-day meet started yesterday.